Being Human (Resources)

This week, as I enter one more year of being in the field of people management, thought of retrospecting this turf.

One of the funniest, common (and some time irritating too) question I have heard in this field is – HR? Do you guys work? What work you guys have!!? Etc..

I am sure this question is faced by most of my HR friends also. For outsiders its very simple job because they don’t see our efforts unlike many other roles, nor we use any machines, codes etc. But inside story is different.

When we interact with associates, we need to analyze back of our mind, what might be going on in his / her mind and what answers we need to give. Many times it will be right analysis and some time it back fires, putting us in spot.

Even when we are undergoing turmoil in life due to various factors, we are expected to keep ourselves cool and answer all types of questions we are faced without showing our pains within.

The most difficult tasks we are faced are, when we are supposed to terminate employment of fellow associates. If its disciplinary action, somewhere we can justify our job, but in all other case, we are burned with psychological pressure of snatching someone’s livelihood, which we can’t share it outside, as that is the job demand.

In some earlier assignments, I have personally spent days together in office without breaks for project completion, missing personal commitments, facing taunts, nevertheless still I have smiled when people asked if I have any work.

There are many examples, where managers don’t perform this difficult role of people management of communicating any news to their team members but direct them to us, saying HR decision!! Well, this is to be good in front of them and put us in situation. However, many associates have started understanding the game these managers are playing, thank god!! Saved from this at-least.

So what we do in an organization? In simple words, we are more like spokesperson for management, bridge for associates, and punching bag for all unfavorable things in the company.

It’s also a privilege role, where , we do our own joining formalities, prepare our exit documents, own confirmation letter print out, but don’t imagine next – We fix our appraisal percentage as well , No !! It’s not done by us!!

At end, if I question, was my decision of becoming a Management Graduate in HR, way back in school days was correct, I think yes. For my traits, I don’t think any other role would have best suited me, like this.

It has given me growth in careers, vast opportunities to work in different industry, interact with thousands of associates from 10^th pass to IIM graduates, received appreciations from people for helping them in their career guidance and decisions, which changed their personal life.

Definitely I feel proud, because, I work in the most complex area of mankind -   Human Brains.